"It takes a team of people and Sue championing that to happen," said Todd Gawronski of Bradford Beach Jam.

Gawronski is a private businessman who spent the last 10 years working to revive Bradford Beach. It was one of the resoundingly successful private-public partnerships that Black fostered.

"It's really unfortunate," Gawronski said.

In the past 10 years, millions of private dollars have revitalized Bradford. Gawronski said this year alone, he and his partners have invested a half million dollars, and there were even bigger plans ahead. He said they've gotten no explanation for Black's sudden termination.

"We have a lot invested in the parks and the lakefront and the services, it would be nice to know what's going on," Gawronski said.

"Sue is the embodiment of what non-partisan government should be about," Milwaukee County Supervisor Gerry Broderick said.

Broderick heads the county board's parks committee. He said he was as blind-sided as Black when the county executive fired her without warning.

He said County Executive Chris Abele underestimates the importance of the parks to this community, and its appreciation for Black's work.

"From the Olympian heights of the back nine of his country club, it looks very different. These parks are the poor man's country club, and he doesn't get it," Broderick said.

Abele declined to comment Friday. Thursday, he told reporters he made the decision for the public good.

"The decision I've made here, and the decisions I make all the time are based on one thing, and that's best use of your tax dollars," Abele said.